Miss Cecily Cox (Dufault)

I was very saddened by the death of Miss Cox, who died at home in her sleep on Sunday 14th December - her stalwart friend and helper Freda found her when she took up the morning tea.
Cecily and her Dufault deerhounds have been among the winners since the 1960s, both in the showring and on the coursing field. Cecily was passionately devoted to Deerhounds, and the beautiful Dufault head was a keynote of her breeding. She became very frail latterly, but she never lost her interest in the breed and had been on the phone getting the results from LKA the night before she died. The Deerhound Club was planning to help her celebrate her 90th birthday in March 2004. Alas, it was not to be and many have lost a good friend.
A full appreciation of Miss Cox's life and her contribution to Deerhounds will feature next week. The funeral details are not yet known, but will be in the national press in due course.

Mary Girling

Mr Fred Ward

It is with great shock and sadness that I have to report the sad loss on Thursday 4th December, 2003 of Mr. Fred Ward, writes John Bunting.
Having worked alongside Fred at the National Terrier for many years I would like to say what a great team member he was, always a laugh, and a professor of common sense.
A devoted Terrier enthusiast for most of his life, he became a member of the National Terrier in 1986, a Committee Member in 1989, and Chief Steward in 1991. Although his first love was Staffordshire Bull Terriers, having owned & campaigned a Champion and bred another, his hard work and dedication to many Terrier breeds was reflected in the time & effort he put in, along with his wife Maureen, serving on many breed & general canine clubs in various capacities including Chairman of the Midland Counties Airedale Terrier Club; Leicester City Canine Society; Loughborough Canine Society; The Miniature Bull Terrier Club; Notts and Derby & East Midland Staffordshire Bull Terrier Clubs.
His commitment to the bull breeds was also demonstrated by his campaigning support against Breed Specific Legislation and longstanding service as a representative to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council. For many years he awarded CCs in Staffordshire Bull Terriers and was very proud to have been invited to judge the breed at Crufts in 2004. Fred also awarded CCs in Airedale Terriers and Miniature Bull Terriers and participated in the Group Judges’ Development Programme instigated by the National Terrier Club.
On a personal note I would like to express how much Fred will be missed by all those he came into contact with, I have many happy memories of the time and tasks I have shared with him. He was a terrier man through and through. Our deepest sympathies go out to all those he left behind, especially his wife Maureen.

Mrs Olga Hampton

Mrs Olga Hampton, (Larstoke) died peacefully on Monday morning December 15th. in a private nursing home just two months after the death of her husband Ian. She was 88.
Secretary of the West of England Ladies’ Kennel Society for twenty years she later became the society’s Patron and during office was supported by her late husband Ian who had been their treasurer since 1968. They met in Col Baldwin’s famous war dogs’ school then based in Cheltenham in 1943 and were married in 1944. Olga was Col Baldwin’s secretary. They had had a mutual interest in English Springer Spaniels and the Larkstoke prefix was reknown for its dual purpose dogs, many of which were trained by her husband Ian.
The funeral service is at Oakley Wood Crematorium, Warks (just off M40) on Tuesday 23rd December 2003 at 3pm. There are family flowers only.
Donations may be given to help Dogs for the Disabled (This is a Charity to which both Ian & Olga were very committed and supportive) and should be sent to Allen & Son, High Street, Moreton in Marsh GL56 OAF tel 01608-650633.

 

Major Lance Abbott

It is with regret that I have to report the death of Major Lance Abbott aged 90. His funeral took place on the 10th December at West Wittering, West Sussex.
We all knew Lance through his Smooth Salukis. He joined the club in the early 60s and from 1966-70 he was Coursing Secretary.
In 1975-77 he was Chairman of the Saluki Club and then Vice President from 1983-88. When he retired from the committee he was voted an Honorary Vice President for life in 1989.
The Club owes a great debt of gratitude to Lance for his dedication and loyal service to the club over the many years he held office.
Lance was a qualified engineer so naturally during the war he served with the Royal Engineers in the bomb disposal section - where he was mentioned in dispatched. At one point he was on a roof in Belgium when a german fighter plane swooped out of the sky and peppered the are with bullets - luckily they missed him!
After the war Lance joined his father in a printing business. Lance, with his wife Barbara bought their first Saluki from the Hendersons (whom we’ve well known for their Smooth Kumasis,) and then bought another three bitches a year later. They bred one litter from Kumasi Qamriya by Jhazala Calaphas which produced seven puppies - five dogs and two bitches and kept three of the litter - the most famous being the beautiful smooth Hasala Sharqi a grey and white palti coloured bitch. She won only one CC but it was at Crufts in 1970 under Eileen Skelton Fortune; she also gained three RCCs. Her brother Hasaha Rafiqi (smooth grizzle) was an excellent coursing hound.
Sadly Barbara died in 1980. They had one son Tim, who acquired the printing business some years ago from his father and they have offered their services on many occasions to the club for which we are most grateful. Lance married Olwen in 1985 and they shared their life with a longhaired dachshund. We offer our condolences to Olwen and to Tim and Tessa and to all their family at this sad time.

Chris Ormsby